1. do you want to keep the sliding door off the dining room out to the entertaining area and 2. can you show where you would like to keep any outside windows and sliding doors and 3. what are the outside walls built out of and 4. fabulous light can be added to a downstairs room with a new Solar Skylight which doesn't need a hole in the roof!!

thanks everyone, Kate if it's not too much trouble a quick sketch would be awesome, I can't quite picture where the pantry and island would be in what you describe.

With regards to doors/windows we're open to moving these around. we'd thought we would close off the current door from the formal dining to the deck (since this would now be pantry) and extend the other sliding door on this wall (and probably replace with bifolds). if there bench top along the wall between the deck and kitchen we'd like a window along there.

The external walls are brick

oh and with the skylight there are bedrooms directly above the whole area

Belinda, check out illume skylights.

Illume or the alternate brand available at Bunnings specially for rooms without access to holes in the roof..it's just seems to be too simple to be worthwhile but ours are fabulous

Thanks I'll check them out

my suggestions includes changes to the traffic pattern in the casual dining area to make more room for a good size table, stacker doors take up less room than bifolds, the new kitchen and pantry is only 4.6m long, there's a window replacing the sliding door in the old formal dining area, kitchen windows at counter height would allow for a servery to the entertaining area and the wall between the windows outside would be ideal for a gas barbq and sink, there's no door into the pantry, the pantry has full size cabinetry and closing off the door to formal living is optional. There's room for a fridge and freezer, stacked wall oven and microwave, cook top and range hood (slide out would fit this space best but there's an alternative position for the cooktop) room for plenty of drawers and cabinets, dishwasher, double sinks, a 900 cm x 1700cm breakfast bar with cabinets and knee space for stools..

the two "L" shapes allow for the best use of the available space (without having to walk too far) but specific placement and sizes can be adjusted to suit if you like this arrangement

Go for island best friend at to cook and let people still get to fridge or pantry

here's a variation with an island...total 5.8m with pantry

I still prefer @Belinda island plan as kids wanting pantry or fridge can't get in way of cook. I think best start is to work out where need to put stove so you can vent it externally and then island and so on

what about this one??

Thanks oklouise. We're planning to do exactly that with the garage door change and outdoor kitchen location, so good to know others think the same :)

I really like you're suggested design, and it helps with reducing the size of the pantry, which I'd thought was too big but didn't know how to make it smaller. We also have an upright freezer we want to put in there. I'd have never of thought of a layout like this, so thanks! I've updated the design a little using Ikea's tool as we'll likely use their cabinets.

The yellow highlighted cabinets would actually be overhang for stools.

I love how many separate food prep areas we have here, as sometimes we both cook. I'm unsure if there's enough clearance between the fridge and the breakfast bar though.

girlguides, i had my heart set on an island as well, but I don't think it's the most practical use of the space. With 600mm cabinets and a 800mm island, this only leaves 1000mm walkways, even for the side with stools. Plus theres loads less benchspace. I think in the above you can easily get to the fridge without getting in the way of the cook. For the pantry, we could add a sliding door to the living room.

i'm glad you're planning to reroute access to the garage: clumsy traffic pattern change a generous room into a big hallway and can't stop thinking about your kitchen..1. where you have narrow cabinets/shelves in the pantry...it's possible to have built in shelves inside the dividing wall (think about the size of what you want to store: cans, bottles, skinny packets? and put 60cm base cabinets on the other side, next to the freezer 2. i can't see the yellow highlights for stools 3. width of pantry is subject to you wanting to keep the door to the formal living room...if so, measure 150mm past the door opening and that's the minimum width of the pantry but 1500mm allows space to comfortably walk past your freezer and have full size base cabinets with pantry drawers (cleaner than open shelves) 4. space between the b'fast bar and 'fridge should be at least 90cm but if you choose a wide b'fast bar and a big 'fridge a bigger space is preferable (stand a couple of chairs 90cm in front of your current fridge for a few days and see how it feels) direction of fridge door opening is also critical, first for the cooks and then everyone else: if the size of the b'fast bar can be enlarged or reduced with overhanging counter then a change of walkway is not so difficult 5. as suggested by girlguide, the cooktop and rangehood might be better on the outside wall for ventilation 6. there seems to be a lot of small cabinets and drawers in your plan and there could be some better (and cheaper) combinations but when i tried to access IKEA kitchen planner to confirm available sizes it's not responding today 7. i've attached my suggested approximate base cabinet sizes: starting with corners and work outwards, aiming for the biggest standard carcases and then add drawers to suit purpose ..

Thanks oklouise, answers to your questions below;

1. I guess this would be possible, although I was only planning on putting a slim interior wall of around 120mm in. I've used the 370mm deep ikea cabinets currently. This storage is for cans, jars, pasta, baking goods etc, which would mostly be in baskets or jars. I also had one of the tall cabinets with pull out draws for the bottom 50%, which could have baskets for onions, potatos etc

2. sorry i reloaded the image and forgot to put it back on, they're the far left cabinets on the breakfast bar

3. completely agree

4.current gap is 800mm, which i agree is a touch too narrow. We have 900mm between our pantry doors and breakfast bar now, and i dont find it too annoying (although there is only 2 of us in the house now, i imagine this becomes trickier with more people)

5. I'll have a think about how to incorporate this

6. standard cabinet sizes in aus are either 60 or 37 deep, by 40, 60 or 80 wide. We will get quotes from custom cabinet makers as well, which would allow us to maybe use the space a little better (depends on the cost though)

thanks again everyone, i really appreciate the help :)

Hi Belinda,

I was thinking something like this, apologies its a bit rough, very time poor at the moment. The scullery would be out of sight if you install a concealed sliding door.

And you can run your exhaust through the back of the overhead cabinets to exit out the side of the house.

Hope it helps.

I really like Louises layout, gives you lots of storage space and bench space. A couple of things to consider though, if you are going with IKEA is avoiding corner cabinets if you can. Their corner cabinet lazy susans are not the most sturdy and long term the corners wont be at their most effective. Also with the fridge, be mindful of getting it into its designated space. It may be tight where it is at the moment. And always allow enough clearance either side, to open the doors fully so you can take out the shelves to clean. The pivot on some fridges doors, is on the inside so you need that extra clearance to open the doors fully. Looks like you are nearly there though! cheers Kate

Thanks Kate! I have sketched a very similar design before, but was worried about the width of the walkways, and that they'd be too narrow and feel cramped

Hi. I have the same dilemma and same restrictions with 3.5. Technically you can fit an island...however, a block of an island (I found) just looks too overwhelming in the space. I ended up replacing the island with an open shelved combination as it seriously looked like a big coffin, on wheels. If the overall space was larger and you could stand back and view it from a distance, it would look better but squeezed in a thoroughfare will be overwhelming. I also wonder whether having an Island but on wheels and open would be more viable. Gives you flexibility with the space. It also depends on how many people will really be sitting at the island and eating. The wheels option allows you to have 1-1.2 metres between the island and workbench when you want it, which means the other side is restricted just as a thoroughfare but you can move it back. If it were my kitchen I would do the top picture as will give you space to move. Don't get me wrong as I love islands, but I think an extension of your bench will be easier and not restrict the flow. There are only two of us in my tiny house and when my tall 18 year old wants to cook, I cannot be in the kitchen at the same time...the island will make it a tight one person kitchen. The bench extension will comfortably allow for two. I plan to upgrade my kitchen in the future and I can honestly say that I will probably be doing an extension of the bench as a breakfast bar and not an island. Good luck!

I like oklouise' first design!!